CAMS

CAMS — Communication Accessibility Management System

Australia’s First Communication‑Access Standard

The Communication Accessibility Management System (CAMS) is Australia’s first comprehensive framework for ensuring that every person — Deaf, Hard of Hearing, non‑verbal, neurodivergent, or communication‑diverse — can access information, services, and community life safely and equitably.

CAMS is designed by Signbridge Inc as a national, scalable, lived‑experience‑led system for communication accessibility across government, workplaces, community venues, and public services.

What CAMS Is

CAMS is a modular, standards‑based system that helps organisations:

• Remove communication barriers

• Provide multimodal communication pathways

• Ensure predictable, communication‑safe environments

• Meet human‑rights and inclusion obligations

• Build communication‑accessible services and spaces

CAMS is the communication‑access equivalent of what WCAG is for digital accessibility — but broader, deeper, and applicable to all forms of communication, not just websites.

Why CAMS Exists

Australia has:

• No national communication‑access standard

• No consistent way to measure communication accessibility

• No multimodal communication requirements

• No lived‑experience‑led governance model

• No system for communication‑safe contact pathways

• No standard for non‑digital communication

CAMS fills this national gap by providing a complete, auditable, certifiable system for communication accessibility.

The CAMS Structure

CAMS is built on three layers:

1. CAMS Core Standard

The foundation of communication accessibility. It defines:

• Multimodal communication requirements

• Predictable pathways

• Communication‑safe environments

• Lived‑experience governance

• Staff practice expectations

• Policy and procedure alignment

2. Sector Annexes

Tailored requirements for specific sectors, including:

• Government

• Health

• Emergency services

• Community venues

• Churches and faith communities

• Digital services

• Education

• Transport

Each annex defines the minimum communication‑access requirements for that sector.

3. CAMS Audit & Certification System

A complete ecosystem that includes:

• Audit checklists

• Scoring tools

• Auditor handbook

• Reporting templates

• Certification pathways

• Improvement roadmaps

This allows organisations to measure, improve, and demonstrate communication accessibility.

The SPACE Framework

CAMS is powered by the SPACE Framework, a universal model for communication‑safe design.

SPACE stands for:

• Safety — communication‑safe environments

• Predictability — clear, consistent pathways

• Accessibility — multimodal communication options

• Clarity — plain language, low cognitive load

• Equity — equal access for all communication styles

SPACE is used in:

• CAMS audits

• Staff training

• Venue design

• Digital communication

• Policy development

What CAMS Covers

CAMS addresses all forms of communication, including:

• In‑person communication

• Phone, SMS, chat, and digital pathways

• Visual communication

• Auslan and signed communication

• Written communication

• Emergency communication

• Neurodivergent‑safe communication

• Sensory‑safe environments

• Staff practice and customer service

• Policy, governance, and organisational culture

CAMS is the first system in Australia to unify all these elements.

Who CAMS Is For

CAMS is designed for:

• Government agencies

• Councils and public venues

• Churches and community organisations

• Hospitals and health services

• Workplaces and businesses

• Emergency services

• Education providers

• Transport networks

Any organisation that communicates with the public can adopt CAMS.

Why Organisations Adopt CAMS

CAMS helps organisations:

• Meet human‑rights and inclusion obligations

• Improve service quality

• Reduce communication‑related risk

• Support Deaf, HoH, non‑verbal, and neurodivergent users

• Build trust with the community

• Demonstrate leadership in accessibility

• Prepare for future regulatory requirements

CAMS is future‑proof, scalable, and evidence‑based.

CAMS Certification

Organisations can undergo a CAMS audit to receive:

• CAMS‑Ready (baseline compliance)

• CAMS‑Aligned (strong compliance)

• CAMS‑Certified (full compliance)

Certification demonstrates a commitment to communication accessibility and lived‑experience leadership.

How CAMS Was Developed

CAMS is built through:

• Lived‑experience leadership

• Evidence‑based design

• International research

• Community consultation

• Systems architecture

• Standards development methodology

Signbridge Inc is the originator and custodian of CAMS.

Get Started With CAMS

Organisations can begin by:

• Requesting a CAMS audit

• Reviewing the CAMS Core Standard

• Exploring the SPACE Framework

• Attending a Signbridge workshop

• Building communication‑safe pathways

• Preparing for certification

Signbridge provides guidance, tools, and support at every stage.